Cloud Nine is the successful 1987 comeback album by George Harrison, recorded and released after a five year hiatus from his recording career. As home to the smash hit "Got My Mind Set on You", Cloud Nine re-established Harrison as a critically-acclaimed and commercially-significant recording artist. It was also George Harrison's final studio album released in his lifetime.

Following the release of Gone Troppo in 1982 and Harrison's increasing frustrations in a musical climate that was different from the one he had done so well before in, he decided to halt his recording career for other interests, primarily as a film producer for his own company, Handmade Films. The odd soundtrack or charity song would surface during this period, but otherwise, it was a musically silent period for Harrison.

By late 1986 — after a substantial break — Harrison felt the desire to make music again. Wanting to sound contemporary, but true to his roots, he asked former Electric Light Orchestra leader and fellow musician Jeff Lynne to co-produce the album with him. After having composed a round of new songs, Harrison entered his home studio, Friar Park, in Henley-on-Thames on 5 January 1987 to begin recording his first new commercial album in five years.

Joining Harrison and Lynne in the studio were old friends such as Jim Keltner and Ringo Starr on drums, Eric Clapton on guitar, and on piano both Gary Wright and Elton John. It was clear that a substantial break was what Harrison really needed — he felt refreshed and reinvigorated. For the first time in years he actually wanted to make an album. His enthusiasm to be musically productive again would have an impact on the quality of the music produced for Cloud Nine.

Part of Harrison's strategy for his comeback was making himself seen. He appeared with Starr at the Prince's Trust Concert that June performing "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and was actively involved in promoting the upcoming album. In October, Harrison's cover of Rudy Clark's obscure early 1960s song "Got My Mind Set on You", (which Harrison had wanted to record with the Beatles in the early days) accompanied by a humorous video, was released and stunned everyone by reaching #1 in the US and #2 in the UK — heights Harrison had not achieved in almost fifteen years. A few short weeks later, Cloud Nine was released with very high anticipation and was promptly lauded by critics worldwide as Harrison's best album since All Things Must Pass in 1970, sending it to #10 in the UK and #8 and platinum status in the US. His Beatles tribute "When We Was Fab" also proved a successful follow-up single, reaching the Top 30 in both the UK and US.

While the success of Cloud Nine was not enough to spur Harrison into a tour (the ill-fated 1974 Dark Horse jaunt in North America was still fresh in his mind), he certainly did embrace his good fortune and it inspired him to continue — but with a difference. In the spring of 1988, along with Lynne, he would call up friends Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Roy Orbison and begin recording a project ultimately released as the Traveling Wilburys.

In 2004, Cloud Nine was remastered and reissued both separately and as part of the deluxe box set The Dark Horse Years 1976-1992 on Dark Horse Records with new distribution by EMI, adding two bonus tracks from the Shanghai Surprise film: "Shanghai Surprise" and "Zig Zag"

(Track listing)All songs by George Harrison, except where noted.

"Cloud 9" – 3:15 "That's What It Takes" (George Harrison/Jeff Lynne/Gary Wright) – 3:59 "Fish on the Sand" – 3:22 "Just for Today" – 4:06 "This Is Love" (George Harrison/Jeff Lynne) – 3:48 "When We Was Fab" – (George Harrison/Jeff Lynne) - 3:57 A celebration of The Beatles and the 1960s. "Devil's Radio" – 3:52 "Someplace Else" – 3:51 An earlier version of this song appeared in the 1986 film Shanghai Surprise. "Wreck of the Hesperus" – 3:31 "Breath Away from Heaven" – 3:36 An earlier version of this song appeared in the 1986 film Shanghai Surprise. "Got My Mind Set on You" (Rudy Clark) – 3:52 Cloud Nine was remastered and reissued in 2004 with two bonus tracks:

Very nice...newly posted, and now...it's...THE ALBUM OF THE WEEK; June 3rd-10th, 2008!!I'll just start with a quickie, my usual quicker & shorter pre-review preview, and say that this is one of his very best. My favorite track on it would have to the transcendent "This is Love" It also helped to spawn The Traveling Wilburys, and laid the groundwork for the later Beatles-Threetles tracks. All in all My fave Harrison works are still "All Things Must Pass" & "Thirty-Three & 1/3", and close behind those would be "Brainwashed" (at this same level would be "The Concert for Bangladesh" & the 1st Traveling Wilburys album). "Cloud 9" would be in the very next group and sits there with 1979's "George Harrison", and "Living in the Material World" (and Traveling Wilburys Vol.3); thus ending the list of truly great George solo works (others are good and have great moments). It certainly makes my top 5 of pure solo Harrison albums (at either #4, #5, or #6 depending on the day- with only 3 laying claim to being outright better) and one should keep in mind that I feel Harrison's solo works, and career was every bit as great as Lennon's, and I even prefer it to McCartney's; though not by much. Blessings!

Last edited by linclink on Thu Jun 05, 2008 11:40 am, edited 2 times in total.

Aside from All Things Must Pass, this is my second favorite George album. I've always enjoyed this album it has great songs such as "Got My Mind Set On You", "When We Was Fab", "Clould 9", and "This Is Love".

linclink wrote:Very nice...newly posted, and now...it's...THE ALBUM OF THE WEEK; June 3rd-10th, 2008!!I'll just start with a quickie, my usual quicker & shorter pre-review preview, and say that this is one of his very best. My favorite track on it would have to the transcendent "This is Love" It also helped to spawn The Traveling Wilburys, and laid the groundwork for the later Beatles-Threetles tracks. All in all My fave Harrison works are still "All Things Must Pass" & "Thirty-Three & 1/3", and close behind those would be "Brainwashed" (at this same level would be "The Concert for Bangladesh" & the 1st Traveling Wilburys album). "Cloud 9" would be in the very next group and sits there with 1979's "George Harrison", and "Living in the Material World" (and Traveling Wilburys Vol.3); thus ending the list of truly great George solo works (others are good and have great moments). It certainly makes my top 5 of pure solo Harrison albums (at either #4, #5, or #6 depending on the day- with only 3 laying claim to being outright better) and one should keep in mind that I feel Harrison's solo works, and career was every bit as great as Lennon's, and I even prefer it to McCartney's; though not by much. Blessings!

Adding to my previous post...The Level I tracks, best of the best, would be: This Is Love, Fish On The Sand, That's What It Takes, When We Was Fab, Got My Mind Set On You (5 of 11- very good start)Level Ia, still amazing: Devil's Radio, Breath Away From Heaven (2 of 11; making 7 of 11 some part of Level I- pretty impressive)Level II, still very good: Someplace Else, Just For Today, Cloud 9 (3 of 11)Level IIa, still good: Level III, good: Wreck Of The Hesperus (1 of 11)Not exactly "Help", but certainly far superior to "London Town". As far as the Jeff Lynne works go, I think this is in the same league as "The Traveling Wilburys (I)", which it spawned, better than "Traveling Wilburys Vol.3", and only trails behind the wonder that is "Brainwashed". I can understand some of the complaints about Lynne, but overall I like him, and his work here, and think he did a whole lot towards getting George inspired, and having fun with music again. I LOVE Ringo's work on this album, but have very mixed feelings about Clapton. Eric made great contributions to ATMP, but here he works sometimes, but sounds too corporate cliched generic blues-rock...like he's not serving the song (something George does impeccably), just punching his clock and doing his day job. The only problem I feel on this album is Clapton, not Lynne. The title track does work well, but George's slide work outshines Eric's, though their interplay is great. This part of their relationship is at it's worst on "Live In Japan". Clapton is good sometimes, and this tour never would've happened without him & his band, but he & the band are, more often than not, corporate & generic, and sometimes Harrison is able to rise above it, but it's no "Concert For Bangladesh", and a mixed bag at best.

I love Cloud Nine and rank it along with All Things Must Pass and Brainwashed as George's three best albums, in no particular order. Of course, I have all of his albums but these three are truly great, whereas the others are merely fair to really good.